Plumbing device for use in hanging wallpaper



Jan. 6, 1953 c. s. ANDERSON PLUMBING DEVICE FOR USE IN HANGING WALLPAPER Filed May 2. 1949 Patented Jan. 6, 1953 PLUMBING DEVICE FOR USE IN HANGING WALLPAPER Chester Sig Anderson, St. Charles, 111. Application May 2, 1949, Serial No. 90,826

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of hanging wallpaper and more particularly to a novel device and manner of vertically aligning or plumbing the adjacent sheets or lengths of wallpaper'as they are hung and thereby assure their accurate positioning on the side walls.

In the hanging of wallpaper care must be taken that the adjacent or successive sheets are hung in parallel vertical planes to secure proper pattern arrangement whereby the pattern follows correctly along the ceiling and base edge. Plumbing each startin sheet from the corners of the room to assure vertical alignment is frequently a diflicult task and especially as seldom are the corners vertically true. To align or hang the paper vertically from these corners, various devices have been resorted to, including straight edges, plumb lines, marking of the wall, etc. However, these have not been too successful both from the standpoint of accuracy and the fact that hanging of wallpaper in such manner has been slow and tedious. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an aligning means or mechanism that eliminates all the objections and disadvantages inherent in such prior devices and permits the paper hanger to accurately and positively plumb this corner so that successive sheets Will follow their correct pattern formation and holding to a correct perpendicular line along the side walls.

Among the further objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel means and mechanism adapted to be detachably clamped onto the lower portion of a sheet of wallpaper in full View of the paper hanger and which permits him to quickly determine when the depending sheet is located in a vertical plane or proper alignment.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a novel device that may be quickly attached to and detached from a longitudinal edge of the sheet of wallpaper and which incorporates a spirit level disposed in full view of the paper hanger so that he is immediately apprised as to whether the longitudinal edge of the paper hangs vertically or must be shifted or adjusted laterally to the desired vertical or aligned position, and when in the desired position pasted upon the wall.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

The invention further resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary view of the corner of a room being papered and showing a paper hanger adjusting the sheet at a corner to assure hanging the sheet inan aligned, vertical position on a side wall Fig. 2 is a view in front aligning device.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the novel device attached to and located in operative position along a longitudinal edge of a sheet of wallpaper.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the novel aligning elevation of the novel device.

Referring more particularly to the novel illustrative embodiment disclosed in the drawing, the present invention comprehends a novel aligning device comprising a plate or frame I constructed of metal or other rigid material having a rearwardly bent alignin flange or edge 2 adapted to be locatedalong an edge 3 of a sheet of wallpaper i. The plate or frame I is provided with a horizontally disposed and forwardly projecting ledge 5 upon which is rigidly mounted a spirit level 6 and at the vertically arranged aligning flangez is a spring-actuated clip or clamp member I.

In the usual method of hanging wallpaper, the sheets or strips 4 of approximately the length required for the'side walls of a room or other enclosure are laid porting surface with the design on the underside, and then pasted on the back or exposed upper side Which is to be affixed to the wall surfaces. With the paper remaining with the side containing the design underneath, the opposite pasted ends 8 and 9 of the sheet are folded inwardly to substantially the center of the sheet and joined in folded and overlapped relation so that the side containing the design is Wholly exposed at the front and back. The paper hanger trims the edges off of the paper, picks up the folded paper and then mounts his ladder, platform or support A, turns the paper over, separates the folded end B which is intended to be the upper end, and holds the upper edge against the upper corner portion of the wall where the paper is intended to be affixed (see Fig. 1). Then by means of a plumb line, straight edge, marking upon the wall, etc.,

flat on a table or other flat suphe endeavors to plumb this sheet so that adjacent sheets have their longitudinal edges vertically arranged when aflixed to the side walls.

With the present novel device and the manner of aligning and applying the wallpaper, the steps of pasting, folding and holding of the upper edge of the paper at approximately its ultimate location on the wall, is carried out in a, manner similar to that set forth above. However, before the pasted and folded upper end 8 is placed or located against the upper wall surface, the novel aligning means or plate member I is clamped to the edge 3 of the wallpaper adjacent the other or lower folded end 8 by the clamp or spring clip 7. The upper edge of the folded end 8 is then unfolded and held by the paper hanger against the wall at approximately theintended location. Next with the remainder of the sheet depending, the paper hanger by viewin the spirit'level 31' which determines whether the paper is plumb or vertically disposed, can swing the paper to. the right or left in. a manner similar to a pendulum, until the bubble in the. spirit level appears at the center, at which time the paper hanger knows that the edge 3 of the wallpaper is vertically disposed and he thereupon pastes or aflixes the upper end 8 of the paper to the wall and smooths the paper downwardly. After the upper portion has been pasted, he then removes the aligning means I by disengaging the spring clip or clamp. This is accomplished by separating or opening the. jaw H of the clamp so as to release the wallpaper, after which the lower end 9 is unfolded and pasted to the wall.

The clamp or clip 1 may be of any suitable type which permits the quick attachment to or detachment from the wallpaper. In thedisclosed embodiment this clamp or spring-actuated clip has a pair of clamping jaws II and [2, the jaw ll being movable and the clamping jaw I2. being rigidly secured to the outer or top surface of the plate or frame I. The, jaws are spring-biased to closed position by a substantially U-shaped spring 13. Each jaw is provided with a projecting finger or handle, 14 whereby pressing these fingers or handies. to force them toward each other withdraws the movable jaw I from its contact with the plate or frame I to permit the aligning means or device to be detachably mounted over the longitudinal edge 3 of the wallpaper 4 with this edge 3 abutting or in contact with and thereby aligned or disposed parallel with the aligning flange 2. Then releasing the fingers or handles it causes the movable and spring-actuated jaw I I to tight- 1y engage the'paper and. hold it. securely against 13' therear of the plate or frame I. Similarly, when the aligning device is to be removed from the wallpaper, all that is required is for the paper hanger to. press the fingers or handles [4 toward each other and thereby release the paper and permit the aligning device to be withdrawn or removed.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, it will be readily appreciated that the present aligning device provides a positive and accurate means and method of vertically 4 plumbing the corner sheets of wallpaper. It further greatly simplifies such alignment as all that is required is for the operator or paper hanger to watch the spirit level and when the level is in a horizontal plane as shown by the location of the bubble, he is assured that the edge of the wallpaper is in vertical alignment.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A device for plumbing and" aligning sheets of wallpaper applied to the side walls of an enclosure, comprising a substantially triangularshaped frame of rigid material having two adjoining sides with one side adapted to be positioned in a vertical plane and the other in a horizontal plane at the upper edge of the frame, a flange provided along said vertical side and projecting. rearwardly to align with a longitudinal edge of the wallpaper, a ledge projecting from and forwardly of the horizontal side, a spirit level mounted on said ledge; and means adjacent said flange for clamping said member upon a sheet of wallpaper adjacent the lower end thereof with said spirit level disposed transverse of the shee and the. flange of the frame disposed along and aligned with a longitudinal edge of the sheet, whereby when the spirit level is in a horizontal plane t e itudinal e e is vertically disposed.

2. An aligning device for use in hanging wallpaper comprising a plate adapted to be clamped to a longitudinal edge of the wallpaper and provided with two adjoining sides one of which provides a rearwardly projecting aligning flange extending along one edge of the plate and adapted to abut said edge of the wallpaper and be disposed parallel thereto, the other side providing a forwardly projecting ledge extending along the upper edge of said plate and disposed at a right angle with respect to the flange, a spirit, level mounted on the ledge whereby when the spirit level and ledge are in a horizontal plane at the upper edge of said plate, the edge of said wallpaper is vertically disposed and extends in a vertical plane, and means adjacent said flange for clamping said device upon a longitudinal edge of the Wallpaper with the flange disposed along and aligned with said longitudinal edge.

CHESTER SIG ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 376,841 Panyard V Jan. 10, 1 888 449,609 Green Mar. 31, 1891 478,848 Dobelman ii July 12, 18.92 653,229 Gamble July 10, 1900 885,076 Olson Apr. 21, 1908 2,168,505 Zenewich Aug. 8, 1939 2,268,758 Martin Jan. 6', 1942 2,419,941 Belzung May 6, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,804 Great Britain Dec. 11, 1911 

